


But if you go--

by newredshoes



Category: Henry IV - Shakespeare, Henry IV Part 1 - Shakespeare, Henry IV Part 2 - Shakespeare, The Hollow Crown (2012)
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Gen, Katabasis, Orpheus and Eurydice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-14
Updated: 2013-07-14
Packaged: 2017-12-20 05:37:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/883549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newredshoes/pseuds/newredshoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boatman has Northumberland's hunched shoulders, the bitter shame of a man who had schemed and lost his nerve. Kate goes down to fetch her dead love back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	But if you go--

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eudaimon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eudaimon/gifts).



The dog wore Lady's face on all three heads. Kate had not brought bones or scraps, but she called the creature by all his fond names, hung off her necks wrestling and burying her face behind each ear, loved that massive dog with the heart that her love pumped, and the dog licked her, pressed a forehead into her hip, whined and whimpered with thrice the loss his hound felt.

The boatman had Northumberland's hunched shoulders, the bitter shame of a man who had schemed and lost his nerve. Kate paid her way with a silver tongue, the words flat and round with grief and urgency. The boatman huddled into his furs, murmured grand ideas of escape, spoke of those he knew and those who would join him, even her. Kate stepped onto the far shore and put his treacheries behind her.

The queen spoke no English, but Kate had a little Welsh. She listened as the queen sang, opened herself to it, and let the queen taste the hole in her, the throbbing wound she carried. The queen spoke of Kate's brother, repeated his name over and over again, but Kate could only bear her own heart, and had no news.

The shade held her hand as they left the cidergold field. "I belong here," he said, "but by Heaven, but I would rather be alive."


End file.
